Estudo da influência da fermentação na torra de cafés especiais

Abstract

Coffee belongs to the Coffea genus in the Rubiaceae family, with Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora being the most cultivated species. Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages in the world, with Brazil being the largest producer and exporter. During coffee processing, whether wet or dry, fermentation processes occur that lead to physical and chemical changes such as a reduction in water and sugar content, in addition to the development of precursors responsible for the aroma and flavor, acting directly on improving quality beverage and adding value to the final product. The roasting process also results in complex physical and chemical changes in the coffee beans, contributing to their desirable organoleptic properties. The development of the brown color is mainly due to Maillard reactions, which also contribute to the formation of other important aromatic compounds and antioxidants. The level of roasting of coffee beans directly affects their sensory quality. The tests carried out showed that fermentation does not directly influence the formation of coffee color. In the sensorial evaluation attributes such as uniformity, clean cup and sweetness were not affected by the different fermentation modes. Attributes such as body and acidity were directly influenced by fermentation. In general, medium roasting and longer fermentation times enhanced the beverage's.